Structures that are nearby to aquatic environments (such as docks, piers, floats, decks, developed waterfronts, break waters, sea walls and the like, as well as decks, hulls, swim steps, cockpits, platforms and gunwales of marine vessels, by way of example and not by way of limitation) are prone to haul-outs by marine dwelling animals such as seals, sea lions, and other animals. When these animals successfully get onto these structures, they typically cause a damage to the structure or adjacent property, create potentially dangerous situations for humans and other animals, interfere with the owner's desired use of the structure/thing, and generally are a nuisance to humans and the surrounding environment.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has published suggested deterrents and potential methods by which private property owners may try to deter seals, seal lions, and the like from damaging property (available at: http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/Marine-Mammals/Seals-and-Sea-Lions/upload/Deter-Pinnipeds.pdf). These include:                1. barriers and exclusion devices such as fencing (e.g., plastic construction/snow fence, chain link), closely spaced posts, bull rails, electric livestock fencing, netting, and swim step covers;        2. visual repellents such as flags, pinwheels, streamers, flashing lights, strobes, balloons and human attendants/monitors;        3. noise makers such as horns, whistles, bells, electronic acoustic devices (Acoustic Harassment Devices), clapping, banging on pots, pans, drums, empty aluminum cans on a string banging together, music, starter pistols, and pyrotechnics (e.g., bird screamers, bangers, firecrackers, propane canons); and        4. physical contact such as high or low pressure water hoses, sprinklers, sprayers, crowder boards, poles (blunt tip), brooms, cattle prods, toy water guns, non-toxic and water soluble paint ball or air soft guns, slingshots and chemical irritants (e.g., non-toxic pepper spray, mace) used for animal control.        
Many (or even most or all) of these prior art deterrent devices have one or more drawbacks. For example, deterrents such as pyrotechnics and slingshots can potentially harm the animals as well as present a potential for property damage. In addition, most of the suggested or utilized methods and devices known in the prior art have potentially significant drawbacks. Among other things, they can require complex and difficult installation, cause installation-related damage to property, interfere with or preclude the desirable use of space in areas where they are installed, require energy to operate, potentially cause harm to humans and other animals, be potentially hazardous to the surrounding environment, can be difficult to remove/store/maintain, and/or present aesthetic (i.e., “eyesore”)/acoustic/and/or/chemical pollution to the surrounding environment. In any effort to address these problems, economic and other factors typically are taken into consideration and/or impact such efforts.
Accordingly, there is a need for deterrent devices and/or methods that accomplish the desired deterrence while overcoming some/most/all of the foregoing or other drawbacks presented by prior art deterrent systems.